A Final Aria
by Hordak's Pupil
Summary: Oneshot in honor of Luciano Pavarotti. Danny is having a bad week, but when he goes into the Amity Park Auditorium and meets a new ghost, he learns the power music has to calm the soul and makes another's wish come true. Oneshot. Please R


**Danny Phantom: A Final Aria**

**By Hordak's Pupil**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, but I will one day and I'll share ownership with my friends here.**

**Author's Notes: I was shocked last year by the death of Pavarotti (he's one of my favorite singers) and to honor his passing I have written this oneshot. Thanks go out to Em Phantom for the inspiration and the okay do it and Shining Zephyr for the confidence to go through with it. **

**Danny**

"Last ghost for the week," I said as I sucked the Box Ghost into the thermos and sighed. I was exhausted; this had been a bad week. It seemed like every one of my foes were out and ruining my day (add Dash pounding on me for getting a D on the midterm). However the icing on the cake was the new 'Anti-Phantom' campaign our 'wonderful' mayor started. Everyone in town is now out to get me, but at least it's the weekend and I can semi-relax.

"Maybe I can finally sleep," I told myself as I took off for the skies for home. Flying always makes me feel better. There's something about being up so high that makes me feel like everything's perfect. The city looked beautiful from so high and it was nice not seeing Vlad's posters all over the place, but that peace was soon shattered.

I was flying over the Amity Park Auditorium, when my ghost sense went off, "great now what," I moaned as I swooped down and approached the door. I had a feeling it might be Ember, who often comes here to practice and was ready for her.

I placed my hand on the door and slowly opened it. I got a chill when I entered the empty theater, "I never noticed how big this place is," I told myself as I starting looking around at the empty seats but saw nothing. Along the walls were posters of plays that had performed here as well as other entertainers. Some were so old that they could barely be read.

"This is odd," I said as I was about to leave but stopped as I heard what sounded like music. I hid in the back row and made myself invisible listening to the music.

It started to get louder and soon saw from behind the seats a ghostly orchestra in the pit. This wasn't Ember's band, but a group of classical musicians. They were warming up their instruments while the conductor prepared the sheet music as if a concert was going to take place.

"Ahem," the ghostly maestro coughed as he tapped his baton and his musicians quieted down and turned around to the stage.

"What's going on," I asked myself as I turned my attention back to the stage and saw another ghost enter the stage. He was portly with shining black eyes and thick black hair with a beard. He was dressed in a tuxedo and seemed pleased to be where he was.

I was so immersed in this spectacle that I was caught off guard when I heard him speak, "You, ghost boy, in the back. What are you doing hiding come closer so you can see and hear better," the specter said motioning to me as the orchestra watched.

"Who me?" I asked as I made myself visible and pointed to myself in confusion. Why did this ghost want me to come closer, was this is a trap? If this was a trap why didn't musicians started attacking me or even acknowledges my presence until the stage ghost called to me.

"Well you are the only one here who could be called a boy, although music makes us all feel young," the portly ghost laughed jovially as he made a stool materialize on the stage with a glass of water.

I slowly walked up to the front row and sat down, "You're Danny Phantom, _sì_" the ghost asked with a smile.

"Uh…yes, but I am afraid I don't know you," I told him nervously as the last ghost who knew my name was Vlad and that turned out bad.

The ghost laughed, "Of course you've not heard of me, I am not as famous as I was in life. Allow me to introduce myself, _Signore _Luciano Pavarotti, at your service," he said bowing politely.

Where I had heard that name before then it hit, "you're that famous singer who died last year," I said as I realized who I was talking to.

"_Si_," the singer said with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him amazed that a famous singer would haunt Amity and not Paris or London.

"When I died, I was granted one wish. Anything I wanted was mine however I had only one wish: that I could sing one last time here on earth before the gates open and I take my final bow," he explains to me. "However, everyone that sees me runs off in fear, but then I hear of Amity Park and the ghost boy. I figure, 'maybe the ghost boy won't run away.' So I come here hoping to find you and you find me, what luck," he said laughing and turning his gaze to me, "So what you want to hear?" he asks me.

I was dumbfounded, why would he ask me to name a song, I'm no opera fan (heck I don't even know opera and I don't think listening to Sam's _Phantom of the Opera _CDs actually count as opera). I sat there thinking, Pavarotti's black eyes looked at me eagerly. I don't know long I sat there until I remembered a song my grandmother used to sing to me when I was little (she died when I was 3) as a lullaby and it haunts my dreams every night since.

"I'm not sure if it's opera , it's a religious song I think, but it holds a lot of happy memories for me sir. It goes 'da da de de da da'," I tell him humming the tune that I remember.

His eyes shine and smile, "I know the tune, may I ask what happy memories it holds for you my friend," he asks thoughtfully.

"My grandmother used to sing it to me when I was little, she died years ago and it's the only memory I have of her," I tell the man as a tear rolls down my cheek.

"I understand, the song is called _Ave Maria_, it's beautiful and I will honor her memory," he said as he turned to his ghostly musicians, "Giuseppe, Gounod's _Ave Maria," _he tells the conductor who nods and flips through his music until he find it and smiles. "Make it special," Pavarotti whispered to the conductor who smiled.

As the music started Luciano took a drink of water and began to sing:

_Ave Maria, gratia plena Domnius tecum __b__enedicta tu in mulieribus __et__ benedictus fructos ventri tu__i__ Jesus._

_Santa Maria! Santa Maria! Maria, __ora pro nobis; nobis pecatoribus nunc et in ora; in ora mortis nostrae._

_Amen! Amen!_

He repeated the verse and I lost myself in the music. I imagined that I was three again and in my grandma's arms. It was a feeling of warmth and comfort. While I was listening, I felt a chill up my spine, I looked around and saw another ghost in the room, I recognized as my grandma.

"Grandma?" I asked as I turned around but she floated next to me and shushed me then gently put her arms around me. Usually when a ghost touches you, you feel cold, but instead I felt warm and at peace. My eyes begin to droop and before I fell asleep the music stopped and Pavarotti bowed.

"Bravo! Bravo!" I shouted out as the singer bowed and motioned for his musicians to come up. The tenor stepped back and joined hands with the orchestra and they bowed together.

I stood up and clapped louder, then Pavarotti and the conductor stepped forward and bowed themselves and I clapped again and watched as the musicians were transformed into angels and flew away.

When they left the tenor came down from the stage and smiled, "Remember Danny, music is what makes life worth living. It is the most beautiful expression of love and the sincerest prayer you could ever utter," he said bowing. "_La ringrazio, Danny, La ringraz__i__o molto!" _he said to me as a brilliant light filled the room and an angel appeared.

"Okay, _Signore _it's time to take your final bow," he said to the singer as he placed a hand on his shoulder and the singer took one last bow and vanished but before he left I swore I heard him say, "_Addio, Danny Phantom!"_

When the light had vanished, I could still hear the music in my mind. My eyes started to droop and soon I was in darkness, but in the darkness I felt loving hands pick me up and felt myself flying away surrounded by peace and for once in this week happiness.

**The End.**

**Dedicated to the memory of Luciano Pavarotti, may you rest in peace great tenor and fill Heaven with music to make the angels cry and envy you. **_**Requiescat in Pace,**_** Luciano!**


End file.
